Under Canvas Bryce Canyon has no shortage of outdoor thrills or creature comforts.
BAILEY MADE/COURTESY OF UNDER CANVAS
Thisll be a chance for you to really cowboy, said Joseph Steed.
There was no road or path, or even a line of footsteps, in sight.
The firepit beckons at Under Canvas Bryce Canyon.Credit:BAILEY MADE/COURTESY OF UNDER CANVAS
One thing to remember, Steed said, peering out from under the brim of his cowboy hat.
You cant do this lifestyle if you dont love it.
It has to be a choice.
Saddling up with Western Canyons Trailrides; riding through a canyon.Courtesy of Samantha Falewée
Otherwise its too tough.
My knees throbbed in agreement, a sure sign Id be sore tomorrow.
But thankfully for my legs, the comfort waiting for me back at Under Canvas swept every ache aside.
The Hoodoo Suite at Bryce Canyon Under Canvas.Bailey Made/Courtesy of Under Canvas
Norton showed me to my tent, a sprawling Hoodoo Suite, which sleeps six.
(Wi-Fi is intentionally not available at any Under Canvas property.)
There was also a full en suite bathroom, with a pull-chain shower to reduce water waste.
Bailey Made/Courtesy of Under Canvas
The tent had screened windows with canvas covers.
I immediately unzipped them.
Norton pointed to a ponderosa pine that stood next to my porch.
The bark smells like butterscotch, he said.
I leaned in close to the flaky tree trunk and inhaled.
I had not, however, revealed that I was afraid of heights.
I blinked at his words as I hefted my helmet and a backpack full of gear.
We were in a scrubby forest of juniper trees and sage brush, red sand clinging to our boots.
It was just the two of us.
Was this in case something happened to him?
Dunn laughed, but didnt deny it.
I saw two shooting stars, each a quiet thrill.
But my gaze kept returning to the Milky Way.
It stretched over the entire sky, almost reaching both ends of the horizon.
How many years had it been since Id looked at it?
The 2,200-foot climb took seven days to finish.
They called it Cowboy Killer.
Because of recent rains, sometimes our descents ended in water.
As daylight faded, I thought longingly of the bed in my tent.
But there was one more thing I wanted to try.
Someone pointed out Arcturus, the third-brightest star in the galaxy, then Saturn.
said his companion, walking forward eagerly.
I saw two shooting stars, each a quiet thrill.
But my gaze kept returning to the Milky Way.
It stretched over the entire sky, almost reaching both ends of the horizon.
How many years had it been since Id looked at it?
The Milky Way was almost commonplace when Id played outside as a child.
Now, as I stood in the Utah air, seeing it again felt like a gift.
